ON CHESS
IX - Chess Writers and Players
OUR last account of Chess players and writers brought us to about the middle of the sixteenth century, a period when many excellent players of the game and several chess authors flourished. Among the former was no less a personage than John Frederick, elector of Saxony, who in 1547 was taken prisoner by the Emperor Charles the Fifth, and condemned to suffer death by being beheaded. Dr. Robertson, the historian of Charles the Fifth, says:
This decree was intimated to the elector while amusing himself in playing at chess with Ernest of Brunswick, his fellow prisoner. He paused for a moment, though without discovering any symptom either of surprise or terror; and after taking notice of the irregularity as well as injustice of the emperor's proceedings, "It is easy," continued he," to comprehend his scheme. I must die beca use Wittemberg will not surrender; and I shall lay down my life with pleasure, if, by that sacrifice, I can preserve the dignity of my house, and transmit to my posterity the inheritance which belongs to them. Would to God that this sentence may not affect my wife and children more than it intimidates me, and that they, for the sake of adding a few days to a life already too long, may not renounce honours and territories, which they were born to possess." He then turned to his antagonist, whom he challenged to continue the game. He played with his usual attention and ingenuity, and having beat Ernest, expressed all the satisfaction which is commonly felt on gaining such victories. After this he withdrew to his own apartment, that he might employ the rest of his time in such religious exercises as were proper in his situation.
He was not, however, put to death, for in 1552, "before Charles left Inspruck, he withdrew the guards placed on the degraded elector, whom, during five years, he had carried about with him as a prisoner, and set him entirely at liberty."
Paolo Boi, a Sicilian, of the city of Syracuse, is one of the most distinguished chess-player of this time. The best account of him is contained in Carrera's elaborate Treatise on Chess, (of which we shall presently speak,) and it is from Mr. Lewis's translation of that rare work that we gather the substance of the following narrative. Paolo Boi was born of a rich and good family, and when a boy displayed great quickness of apprehension, so that he made considerable progress in literature at an early age. It was soon discovered that he had a wonderful talent for the game of chess, so that he could easily beat all the players of his native city. At this time the fame of the Spanish players, and the honours and rewards bestowed on them by Philip the Second, who was exceedingly fond of the game, excited the emulation of the youth, and he resolved to go to Spain, but first travelled through Italy, trying his skill with the best players that country could afford. Amongst others he played with "II Puttino," and had the honour of being considered his equal, so that the two were spoken of as the light and glory of the game of chess. Paolo became the favourite of many of the Italian princes, particularly of the Duke of Urbino, several of the cardinals, and even of Pope Pius the Fifth, who would have given him a considerable benefice if he would have become a priest, but this he declined. Paolo was nevertheless a rigid observer of the forms, and partook largely of the superstitions of the Romish church, as appears from the following circumstance. When at Venice he played with a person whose name is not recorded, and lost every game. Upon reflection, and after having examined the games with great care, he found that he ought to have won; and not being able to account for his want of success, he began to suspect his adversary of using some secret art, whereby he was prevented from seeing the moves. To counteract these evil arts, he therefore resolved to play again with his antagonist, and to arm himself for the encounter with a rosary, rich in the valuable relics of great saints, and also by previously receiving the sacrament. Having done this he conquered his adversary, who, after his defeat, is said to have exclaimed, "Thine is more potent than mine."
At length Paolo arrived in Spain, where he played in the presence of Philip the Second, who gave him the revenue of certain offices in the city of Syracuse, of the value of five hundred scudi a year. Boi was a bold and daring character, and was very desirous of being employed in the service of the brother of the king, Don Giovanni d'Austria, on which account the king wrote a letter of recommendation in favour of Boi, from which we learn that Paolo had before served the king, though it is not stated on what occasion. The next notice we have of Boi's chess achievements is, that he played with some of the principal persons of the kingdom of Portugal, and won eight thousand scudi in one day. He also played with Sebastian, king of Portugal, who not only took delight in the game, but played it himself, and was reputed a good player. They often played three or four hours a day, and it is mentioned as an especial mark of the king's condescension, that once when the king was standing playing, and the Syracusan, (as was his duty,) with one knee on a cushion, having played a long time, and being desirous of resting, the king assisted with his arm to raise him, that he might kneel on the other knee.
Thus honoured by kings, Paolo Boi was highly esteemed by many noblemen of Sicily, Rome, Naples, and other places, and highly rewarded by them. He also went to Hungary, where he played with the Turks, who are particularly fond of the game, playing by memory when riding on horseback. Boi was in foreign countries during twenty years, so that in his own country he was supposed to be dead, for he unwillingly gave any account of himself. When he returned to Sicily he had no fixed place of residence, for he was often going from one city to another, either for his own pleasure, or to please some prince. On one of these occasions he met with his death, for when in Syracuse he was invited to Naples by the Princess of Stigliano, who, as well as her father, highly esteemed him. Three hundred scudi of gold were sent to him, to defray his travelling expenses; but shortly after his arrival in that city he was seized with a complaint in his stomach, brought on by the exertion of hunting, and died in the year 1598, having attained his seventieth year. His body was interred in the church of St. Francesco di Paolo, his obsequies being sumptuously celebrated in the presence of Prince Stigliano, and other Neapolitan cavaliers. This is Carrera's account of his death, but Salvio says he was poisoned by his servant for the sake of the wealth he had acquired. The description of Boi's person and character are thus given by Carrera: I knew him in my youth, when I was at the city of Palermo, in the year 1597: his hair was quite white, his form robust, his mind firm. He dressed very fashionably, like a young man, and was very capricious; nevertheless he had many good qualities: he was exemplary in his conduct, was extremely liberal and munificent, whoever he might be, he confessed and took the sacrament frequently, and was very partial to religious persons. He never would allow any portrait to be taken of him,
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and the drawings of him that are now seen were made without his knowledge. He never would be persuaded, even in his old age, to fix his residence in his own country or elsewhere. In stature he was rather tall, well-proportioned, handsome, lively; eloquent in conversation, and gay and affable with every one. He left some writings on the game of chess, which I have not seen. I have thought it proper to give a full account of such a man, that his name may be known to posterity.
It does not appear that the writings here spoken of were ever printed.
Catherine de Medicis is spoken of as being a chessplayer, and Paolo Boi much wished for an opportunity of playing with her, but was disappointed. Queen Elizabeth also seems to have known something of the game, and on a particular occasion, when Sir Charles Blount, (afterwards Lord Mountjoy,) had distinguished himself at a tilting-match, she sent him as a present a chess-queen of gold, at the same time highly enamelled. Her successor, James the First, may be likewise ranked among the royal chess-players, though he warns his son against the game, "because it is over-wise." This counsel does not seem to have been acted on, for we find a magnificent bag and elegant set of chess-men, which belonged to Charles the First, spoken of by Barrington as having been exhibited to the Society of Antiquaries.
During the sixteenth century many passages in contemporary writers seem to show that chess was practised more or less in England. A kind of comedy, by Middleton, on the game of chess was frequently acted at the Globe theatre on Bankside. It was a sort of religious controversy, the game being played by a member of the Church of England and another of the Church of Rome, and the former, in the end, gaining the victory. The play was considered too political, and the author was committed to prison, from which, however, he obtained his release by the following petition to the king:
A harmless game, coyned only for delight,
'Twas played betwixt the black house
and the white;
The white house won yet still the black doth brag,
They had the power to put me in the bag.
Use but your royal hand; 'twill set me free,
'Tis but removing of a man that's me.
This century was likewise distinguished by the production of a Latin poem on chess. Marcus Hieronynms Vida, of Cremona, bishop of Alba, wrote a poem in praise of chess, called Scacchia Ludus, (the game of chess.) Of this work an extraordinary number of editions have been printed in various languages. Mr. Walker enumerates no fewer than twenty-four new editions or reprints of this work in Latin, eleven in Italian, five in French, and several in English.
The year preceding Boi's death (1597) Horatio Gianutio published his Treatise on Chess, at Turin. This book is extremely rare, and does not appear to have been, remarkable for merit. Dr. Alessandro Salvio's work, which was published in 1604, is far superior. Salvio was considered the most ingenious master of his time, and his openings of games are said to evince the fertility of his genius and his promptness at resource. ".Unfortunately," says Sarratt, "most of his openings are of little use in countries where the king is limited in his castling. Salvio, when he had the move, commonly castled in a manner which is not allowed in this kingdom, that is to say, he moved his king to his rook's square, and his rook to his king's square." Salvio's book, Il Puttino, contains a historical account of the game of chess, and of players, with upwards of sixty games.
Don Pietro Carrera, of Militello, in Sicily, was the next chess writer of importance. His work appeared in 1617, a quarto, of six hundred pages, containing an account of chess and chess-players, a description of the pieces, and a number of games. Among his rules or cautions for playing, the following are distinguished both by oddness and sagacity:
He who plays must not have his mind occupied elsewhere, perhaps in things of importance, because, without doubt, he will then be the loser.
Whoever is to play an important game must avoid filling his belly with superfluous food, because fulness is contrary to speculation, and offuscates the sight, so that it is necessary he should observe strict sobriety. Those people are praise-worthy, who, previous to playing, clear their head by medicines which have the virtue of rendering the spirits pure and subtile, by which means they may enter into the consideration and acuteness of'the moves, with the greater intension.
Carrera invented two new pieces, to be added to the eight original chess-men. That which he calls Campione was placed between the king's knight and castle: its move is both that of the castle and of the knight. The other, named centaur, between the queen's knight and castle has the move of the bishop and knight united. Each of these pieces has its pawn, and, of course, the board must contain two more squares on each side, which will augment their number to eighty. This invention appears to have died with the inventor. Carrera was the author of works on divers other subjects, and is said to have been more versed in Sicilian antiquities than in chess. We may here quote a portion of his recommendatory chapter on chess; he says:
I do not deny that the time which is spent in playing, might be better spent in holy and praiseworthy works, but human weakness does not permit us to find ease in the constant practice of virtue; so we are easily inclined to pleasures, to vanities, and to vices; and in order not to be led into them and offend the Creator, we choose to apply ourselves to exercises of the body and mind. Whence, that youth who employs himself at chess, though he may have played all day, will have gained thus much, that he has not played at dice, and that he has eschewed idleness, which abounds in sins. As to remaining with the eyes fixed on the chess-board, it not only does not cause fatigue, but, on the contrary, great delight, and those who imagine it tires the intellect, are greatly mistaken, the solace and food of our mind being speculation; for the truth of which I appeal to those, who, being passionately fond of study, remain for many hours without lifting their eyes off their books.
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Archeologia Scacchistica 
